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The Old Front Line

The Old Front Line

By: Paul Reed
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About this listen

Walk the battlefields of the First World War with Military Historian, Paul Reed. In these podcasts, Paul brings together over 40 years of studying the Great War, from the stories of veterans he interviewed, to when he spent more than a decade living on the Old Front Line in the heart of the Somme battlefields.

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Episodes
  • Questions and Answers Episode 32

    Questions and Answers Episode 32
    Jun 21 2025

    Our latest questions from listeners range from could Britain have stood back from conflict in 1914 and not been part of the Great War, how accurate was the final dugout scene in the film 1917, what duties did Royal Field Artillery Drivers have on the battlefields of WW1 and what was the story of the Canadian soldiers who rioted in Britain in 1919 while awaiting demobilisation?

    The Old Front Line Youtube Channel: Old Front Line on YouTube.

    Recommended novel on 1914: Robert Harris - Precipice (Penguin 2024)

    Books on The Canadian Riots:

    • The story of the Kinmel Park Camp Riots in 1919 by Julian Putkowski (1989)
    • Riots Death and Baseball - Robert H. Griffiths (2019)

    Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.

    Send us a text

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    37 mins
  • The MOD War Detectives

    The MOD War Detectives
    Jun 14 2025

    In a Trench Chat special we speak to the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations team - otherwise known as 'The MOD War Detectives' - who work to recover and identify the dead on the former battlefields of the Great War. Thanks to the Ministry of Defence for their help in making this possible, and special thanks to Rosie Barron, Nichola Nash and Alexia Clark who all appear in this episode.

    The images used are Crown Copyright.

    Discover more about the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations team and visit their Facebook page.

    Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.

    Send us a text

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    1 hr
  • Questions and Answers Episode 31

    Questions and Answers Episode 31
    Jun 7 2025

    Our listeners have a few intriguing questions: Is there still live ordnance in the moat at the Ypres Ramparts? What exactly was the role of Inland Waterways Transport during the First World War? How would the French portrayal of the Last Hundred Days differ from the traditional British narrative? And finally, if you could take any piece of modern military technology back to the Great War, what would it be, and why?

    You can watch the Old Front Line Youtube Channel here and remember to Like and Subscribe!

    Got a question about this episode or any others? Drop your question into the Old Front Line Discord Server or email the podcast.

    Send us a text

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    38 mins
All stars
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Paul Reed, a battlefield guide, makes learning about the First World War easy and interesting. His easy conversational style brings the battlefields, the events and the individual soldiers vividly to life in front of the listener, and his passion for the subject really shines through.

Fascinating and engaging

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